Book Description
Grayson is Lynne Cox’s first book since Swimming to Antarctica (“Riveting”—Sports Illustrated; “Pitch-perfect”—Outside). In it she tells the story of a miraculous ocean encounter that happened to her when she was seventeen and in training for a big swim (she had already swum the English Channel, twice, and the Catalina Channel).
It was the dark of early morning; Lynne was in 55-degree water as smooth as black ice, two hundred yards offshore, outside the wave break. She was swimming her last half-mile back to the pier before heading home for breakfast when she became aware that something was swimming with her. The ocean was charged with energy as if a squall was moving in; thousands of baby anchovy darted through the water like lit sparklers, trying to evade something larger. Whatever it was, it felt large enough to be a white shark coursing beneath her body.
It wasn’t a shark. It became clear that it was a baby gray whale—following alongside Lynne for a mile or so. Lynne had been swimming for more than an hour; she needed to get out of the water to rest, but she realized that if she did, the young calf would follow her onto shore and die from collapsed lungs.
The baby whale—eighteen feet long!—was migrating on a three-month trek to its feeding grounds in the Bering Sea, an eight-thousand-mile journey. It would have to be carried on its mother’s back for much of that distance, and was dependent on its mother’s milk for food—baby whales drink up to fifty gallons of milk a day. If Lynne didn’t find the mother whale, the baby would suffer from dehydration and starve to death.
Something so enormous—the mother whale was fifty feet long—suddenly seemed very small in the vast Pacific Ocean. How could Lynne possibly find her?
This is the story—part mystery, part magical tale—of what happened . . .
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful story.......2007-09-28
This is a great story, I love the book and have given it to many friends
More self-absorbed than interesting.......2007-08-30
From the black, inky black, so very black ocean at the start to her misunderstanding of gray whales and sonar at the end, Grayson romps along but never quite gets there. I found myself repeatedly flipping to the author biography on the jacket flap, wondering how on earth Lynne Cox ever got published in The New Yorker...and how she could have apparently spent so much time in the ocean without learning very much about its inhabitants.
From the reviews, I was prepared to read about a singular connection between a human being and a gray whale made one lonely morning...instead I found a self-absorbed "true" story about a young woman's encounter with a young whale that wandered off course for several hours, then met up with its mother again. Despite Lynne's self-proclaimed connection with the ocean, she doesn't even realize the young whale is swimming near her until pointed out by her friend on the pier. And then suddenly she feels she is the one totally responsible for the whale, even swimming insanely out to an oil derrick offshore to stay with Grayson. Although she places herself front and center, this event involved many people, including dockside workers, lifeguard patrols, fishing boats, and even the ship Queen Mary. This comes as a slight shock to the reader, as her emphasis on the singularity of her swim with the whale initially has us believing the book is about her interaction with the whale, rather than a multi-pronged rescue effort. It would have read better as a simple narration of what happened, instead of her projections of what the whales were thinking, complete with dopey imaginings of telepathic whale-human connection.
I think there is a nice little story in here somewhere, but Lynne Cox desperately needs better editing, and would have done better to have written it as "based on a true story", which would have allowed the plethora of animal description and interaction without causing readers familiar with marine fauna to suffer from eyeroll strain.
Good read aloud.......2007-08-20
Because of the music of the prose here and the subject matter, this is a great little book to read aloud to kids. It's a charming little story, with a bit of oceanography thrown in.
For an afternoon on the sun porch..........2007-07-31
Greyson is a tale by Lynne Cox in which she has a close encounter with a large ocean dweller. Having taken place in her teens, this story is her "coming of age" in a few short hours. This book probably won't change your life, but it might just shift your perspective a little - and that is a good thing.
A bit of a disappointment.......2007-05-22
This book was a bit of a disappointment for me. I was hoping for a story about a whale, but got the reminicenses (sp) of a woman remembering...well, herself rather than the whale. She prattles on about her open-minded thinking and brash individualism. Whatever. I wanted to hear about the whale and the ocean. I suppose this could be taken as a motivational speech; but, again, I was hoping the whale would take center stage. I also wish she had written this as a younger woman so that we might have experienced some of her wonder and awe (at the creature -- not herself).
Average customer rating:
- More like Drowning To Catalina...
- Woods is a quick read, but pretty lousy
- Excellent read
- Standard Stone Barrington tale
- This book makes a real splash!
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Swimming to Catalina
Stuart Woods , and
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Manufacturer: HarperTorch
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Dirt
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Dead in the Water: A Novel
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Worst Fears Realized
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New York Dead
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The Short Forever
ASIN: 0061099805 |
Book Description
Sinking Like A Stone
Stone Barrington thought he'd heard the last of former girlfriend Arrington after she'd left him to marry Vance Calder, Hollywood's hottest star. The last thing Stone expected was a desperate call from Calder. Arrington has vanished, and her new fiance; wants Stone to come to LA and find her.
In a town where the sharks drive Bentleys and no one can be trusted, Stone soon discovers he's drowning in a sea of empty clues that take him from Bel Air to Malibu to Rodeo Drive. Running out of time and leads, he needs to keep his head above water and find Arrington fast, or end up swimming with the fishes himself.
Download Description
E-book Extra: 'We Are Very Different People": Stuart Woods on Stone Barrington.
Customer Reviews:
More like Drowning To Catalina..........2007-07-18
When I'm into a good read, I will have that book by my side until it's finished.. I put this book down for 5 days and nearly forgot about it! If that tells you much..
I have been caught in a spell of finding horribly boring books lately, where this book was recommended as "an amazing story." How could you go wrong with that?, I thought. Yeah well, to my disappointment, I was bored through this entire book. There were so many different characters and names to remember, I got lost a nearly gave up in the beginning. Forcing myself to finish the book, I was hoping for a possible twist ending to wake me up, but that never happened. I ended up skipping about 30-40 pgs to get to the last chapter -just to see how it ends (so I could start on a real page turner). Little to my surprise it was a depressing ending. How do books like these get published? Honestly!?
Woods is a quick read, but pretty lousy.......2007-03-30
This book was better than Dark Harbor (the first and most recent book I have read from this author), but not much better. I like Woods' style of writing, it is quick and to the point, but his plots are so ridiculous, it's hard to get through. His books should be half as long because all his characters go around in circles about a dozen times. He's got to come up with some better names: Stone? Arrington? Dino? Ippolito? Barrington? C'mon, buddy.
What else can I say, it's slightly less stupid than Dark Harbor. Stone really needs to dump Arrington and get a better friend than Dino.
This book doesn't have any plot twists or multiple suspects to care about. And the direction he gets the reader to go in from the beginning is never touched upon until the last four pages.
Excellent read.......2007-02-20
He makes the books very exciting and I just want to hurry and read it so I know how it ends. To keep a person attached to a book like that takes a lot of talent, and he's got it.
Standard Stone Barrington tale.......2007-01-03
Stuart Woods can write really good novels like "Chiefs", but this is not close to that quality. However, it is an entertaining and moderately exciting read. Not the author's best, but readable and enjoyable.
This book makes a real splash!.......2006-04-14
Wow, what an amazing book - it starts with a splash (literally) in the prologue, where we find Stone Barrington, bound with duct tape, being chained to an anchor, then summarily thrown into the Pacific. Flashback to New York: he receives a phone call from Vance Calder - Arrington is missing, can Stone come to LA right away? At first Stone demurs, then Vance throws in the kicker - Arrington is pregnant. Whose baby is it? Not even Arrington knows. When Stone gets to LA, however, Vance is behaving a bit peculiarly, and suddenly Stone finds himself being distracted from the case - first by being abruptly cast for a role in the movie that Vance is filming (much to Stone's horror and embarassment!), then by Vance's secretary . . . then by a girl he finds who looks a great deal like Arrington and who, strangely, is driving Arrington's car. The twists and turns keep coming as Stone runs up against some major Mafia movers and shakers without even knowing why (and his reaction - and revenge - is hysterically funny).
This was a page-turner, no doubt. I enjoyed watching Stone enjoy himself out in La La land (as he called it) and hope to see him make another trip "out west" again in the future!
Product Description
"SWIMMING TO CATALINA BY STUART WOODS, NARRATED BY RICHARD FERRONE. Filled with the dizzying plot twists that have made Stuart Woods' novels New York Times best-sellers, and earned him an enthusiastic international audience, Swimming to Catalina is a spellbinding tour through the treacherous world of fame. Greed, murder, and romance mingle in this glitzy look behind the scenes in Hollywood featuring the resourceful and irresistible detective Stone Barrington. When she wife of hot Hollywood actor Vance Calder vanishes, he calls Barrington for help. Stone soon learns the woman's disappearance is only to gain leverage. A local mob boss wants Calder's movie company, and will stop at nothing to get it. To clear the mobster's path. Stone is strapped to an anchor and dropped into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Catalina Island. Can Barrington return from the dead to find the missing woman and thwart the lethally hostile takeover? Narrator Richard Ferone's gravelly voice perfectly accents this savvy look at the seamy, cutthroat world of movies and dangerous Hollywood power plays. "[Woods] is a no-nonsense, slam-bang storyteller."---The Chicago Tribune" "Richard Ferrone's gruff and lightly accented voice can't be beat when paired with ... Stuart Woods."---The Midwest Book Review." "Copyright 1998 by Stuart Woods. Copyright P 1998 by Recorded Books, Inc. Unabridged 7 Audio Cassettes, 9.75 Hours." [from the covers of case]
Product Description
A politically incorrect and unabashdly clever thriller.
Average customer rating:
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Swimming to Catalina Mixed
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Mystery
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Woods, Stuart
| ( W )
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ASIN: 0060183861 |
Product Description
10 mass market paperbacks. Stone Barrington series - 10 titles - New York Dead - Dirt - Dead in the Water - Swimming Catalina - Worst Fears Realized - L.A. Dead - Cold Paradise - Short Forever - Dirty Work - Reckless Abandon
Average customer rating:
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Swimming to Catalina Display
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
General
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Woods, Stuart
| ( W )
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ASIN: 0061096628 |
Average customer rating:
- A Casual History
- Not for History Buffs
- A great read!
- Lions and Tigers and Bears- OH MY!
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The Tower Menagerie: The Amazing 600-Year History of the Royal Collection of Wild and Ferocious Beasts Kept at the Tower of London
Daniel Hahn
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1585423351
Release Date: 2004-06-03 |
Book Description
The strange six-hundred-year history of the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London.
From a polar bear who fished the Thames nightly for his dinner to elephants who drank only wine, the inhabitants of the southwest corner of the Tower of London were a strange and rowdy bunch. No less strange was the cast of characters that visited them: William Blake, Chaucer, and Samuel Pepys, to name a few. Daniel Hahn's fascinating history of the Tower of London's Royal Menagerie tells the story of the thousands of exotic creatures who found a home in one of the world's most forbidding and infamous fortresses.
The Royal Menagerie began with a wedding gift: three leopards from King Henry III's new brother-in-law, Frederick the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1235. Soon after, a huge Norwegian polar bear joined them. Over the next six hundred years, the Tower played host to lions, ostriches, elephants, and other unusual animals that astonished London. Brimming with unforgettable stories (the lion who kept a spaniel as a pet; ostriches who were fed a steady diet of rusty nails; lions who, their keepers claimed, could tell whether a woman was a virgin) and beautiful historical illustrations, The Tower Menagerie provides an intriguing, lively survey of our changing attitudes toward animals, as well as a hugely entertaining journey through six centuries of British history.
Customer Reviews:
A Casual History.......2007-05-26
This is certainly not the most compelling of books. I rather doubt that many people have lain awake at night, tormented at their ignorance about the history of the proto-zoo that used to be kept at the Tower of London. Nevertheless, if you really MUST know the background of the royal collection, this is where you should turn to.
The problem is, there are about 15 unique facts to be uncovered about the menagerie, because of such records as still exist, apparently most are in the vein of "Dear Diary: Today I fed the lions, as I did yesterday and the day before and the day before that." There are some striking anecdotes and incidents here and there, and we learn that your medieval types were fairly certain that elephants drank nothing but wine and ostriches loved to eat iron. The high mortality rate amongst the animals should therefore not be surprising.
As a general survey of the changing attitudes towards zoos and the care of captive animals, this is a mildly interesting book. But it really comes across as an expanded research paper by a wiseacre college student in a sophomore literature class. It's exceptionally casually written with a very informal and chatty tone. Probably a precursor of the kind of scholarship that we can expect from the upcoming MySpace generation. At any rate, if you stumble across it and need to kill a couple of hours, it's okay, but otherwise I'd skip it.
Not for History Buffs.......2004-06-27
Apparently the author had an inspirational idea for a story...Problem apparently is that there simply aren't enough records / detailed accounts to create a book based on this topic. How much time did the writer spend researching this book? Even anecdotal evidence is severely limited. The information is meandering, sometimes frustrating in its lack of relation to the supposed theme of the book. Out of the entire book, only two references to actual animal anecdotes were interesting. How disappointing.
A great read!.......2004-06-09
This isn't really a book about a zoo. Amazingly, it's more of a trip through various years of human history with the zoo as a recurring reference. Daniel Hahn manages to weave in and out of people, ideas and events and pulls them together in a way you wish your history teacher had done back at school.
In a sprightly fashion, we get a complete picture of six centuries of human development and man's relationship with animals. This is done through various stories linking culture, science and politics.
As a quick sample: we learn how John Wesley had flute music played to the animals to determine if they had a soul; we cover the continuous links between lions and the British monarchy; there is political intrigue and concern at Darwin's theory of evolution; and we find out the origin of bull and bear stock markets.
This brings me to, what I call, the information-on-the-side in this book, which acts as a wonderful source of interest. Daniel Hahn gives Oliver Sacks a run for his money with his fascinating asides and footnotes and then wins hands-down by making them some of the funniest things ever written.
This book is a delight from start to finish. It's thoughtful, fascinating and packed with history, insight and wonderful observations. I urge you to read it - you'll love it!
Lions and Tigers and Bears- OH MY!.......2003-09-17
Funn. The animals and the characters each seem to have a personality. Different periods of history without allowing hte book to drag. Famous people are woven seemlesly into a consistent story.
Book Description
A front row look at the band that spearheaded 1970s British heavy metal reveals the raw, complete story fans have been waiting for. This comprehensive work features exclusive interviews with past members, many of whom have not previously spoken on the record, including colleagues, friends, managers, and promoters. The ups and the downs, the splits and the reunions, the sex and the drugs, and many previously unpublished photos are included, making this an essential item for any heavy metal fan.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-02-03
This was a really good book. I have read several Maiden biographies over the years so most of what was in this book I already knew, but it was still a good read and brought back a lot of good memories. Worth picking up.
An entertaining Maiden biography.......2007-01-23
Great read for any fan of Maiden and rock music in general. Although it's unauthorized the book sticks to the facts with no muck raking. because of numerous contributions from former "insiders" it provides an in-depth look at Iron Maiden's history.
Great gift for a Maiden fan! .......2007-01-10
Gave this as a gift to a huge Iron Maiden fan and the person really liked it. Says it shows all the changes the band went through and the stuff that happened along the way.
Average customer rating:
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Beauty and the Beast
Retold by Jan Brett
Manufacturer: Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Brett, Jan | ( B ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 044083015X |
Product Description
Each fairy tale starts in English, then slowly MORPHS INTO FRENCH
Begin with LEVEL 1! This book will teach your child 20+ new French words in a fun, fast, and truly easy way! Here s how it works...
* An English word in the fairy tale is circled with its French translation in the column.
* From that moment forward, the French word (written in red) will be used throughout the rest of the story... and it will be used again and again in context!
* As the fairy tale progresses, more and more French words are added like a big language train gathering words along the way.
* The new words are repeated throughout the story helping to reinforce understanding.
* By the end of the book, the child has easily learned 20+ new French words in context!
It's easy! And remember... each level uses words taught from previous levels...so you ll want to continue with the next levels. By the end of the last level, the fairy tale will be written almost entirely in French - and it will be easy to understand EVERYTHING!
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Included: Audio CD with narration, sound effects, & fully orchestrated original music
**Composed, arranged, and performed**
by Slangman David Burke!
Average customer rating:
- Good reading material, grabs your attention
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1998: The Year of the Beast
Chris Cawood
Manufacturer: Magnolia Hill Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Psychological & Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0964223198 |
Customer Reviews:
Good reading material, grabs your attention.......2000-11-16
Great book about international terrorism, apocalypse, and numerology. It starts off with the vice-president being assassinated during the 1998 Sugar Bowl. The bad guys are later found blown up in their getaway boat. The FBI and the Secret Service get involved and the book really takes off from there. It's a great book that keeps you interested. I really enjoyed it.
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
Product Description
6 paperback Titles in Deadtime Stories Series - 1 Terror in Tiny Town - 7 It Came From the Deep - 8 Grave Secrets - 10 Grandpa's Monster Movies - 12 Welcome to the Terror-go-round - 13 the Beast of Baskerville
Books:
- Hell Hath No Fury: A True Story of Wealth and Passion, Love and Envy, and a Woman Driven to the Ultimate Revenge (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Hornblower and the "Hotspur" (Hornblower Series)
- Hornet's Nest
- If You're Afraid of the Dark, Remember the Night Rainbow
- Imperfect Strangers
- Just One Look
- Killshot
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